New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday pitched for a nationwide ban on alcohol, and asked party activists here to raise awareness among people about the ill effects of liquor consumption.

Hitting out at the Congress and Left parties, he asked why they could not support ban on liquor and campaign against its consumption.

File image of Nitish Kumar. Reuters

"When Gujarat could implement liquor ban, Bihar could show that it could also be banned in the state, why it cannot be banned in the entire country?" Kumar said addressing a party event. Stressing that all religions including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism criticise the liquor consumption, he said ban on liquor in the entire country would be the biggest sign of communal harmony and respect to all the religions.

The Bihar chief minister also listed out various benefits of ban on liquor like fall in crime rate, road accidents and various diseases.

The Bihar government had imposed a ban on sale and manufacturing of liquor in April 2016.

JD(U) Delhi unit president Narsingh Shah, addressing the event, said the main aim of the party in national capital would be to regularise over 1,600 unauthorised colonies if it comes to power.

He said the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have failed to fulfill their promise to regularise these colonies where the living condition is "very pathetic".

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